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World J Clin Cases. Apr 6, 2022; 10(10): 2990-3004
Published online Apr 6, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i10.2990
Targeting metabolism: A potential strategy for hematological cancer therapy
Xue Tang, Fen Chen, Li-Chun Xie, Si-Xi Liu, Hui-Rong Mai
Xue Tang, Fen Chen, Li-Chun Xie, Si-Xi Liu, Hui-Rong Mai, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518038, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Liu SX and Mai HR contributed equally to this work; Liu SX and Mai HR designed the research study; Tang X, Chen F and Xie LC performed the research; Tang X, Mai HR and Liu SX wrote the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen, No. SZSM201512033; Shenzhen Fund for Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialties, No. SZGSP012; Shenzhen Key Medical Discipline Construction Fund, No. SZXK034; and Shenzhen Healthcare Research Project, No. SZLY2018015.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hui-Rong Mai, MD, Chief Doctor, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, No. 7019 Yitian Road, Futian, Shenzhen 518038, Guangdong Province, China. maihuirong@163.com
Received: July 15, 2021
Peer-review started: July 15, 2021
First decision: October 18, 2021
Revised: November 1, 2021
Accepted: February 27, 2022
Article in press: February 27, 2022
Published online: April 6, 2022
Processing time: 256 Days and 23.8 Hours
Abstract

Most hematological cancer-related relapses and deaths are caused by metastasis; thus, the importance of this process as a target of therapy should be considered. Hematological cancer is a type of cancer in which metabolism plays an essential role in progression. Therefore, we are required to block fundamental metastatic processes and develop specific preclinical and clinical strategies against those biomarkers involved in the metabolic regulation of hematological cancer cells, which do not rely on primary tumor responses. To understand progress in this field, we provide a summary of recent developments in the understanding of metabolism in hematological cancer and a general understanding of biomarkers currently used and under investigation for clinical and preclinical applications involving drug development. The signaling pathways involved in cancer cell metabolism are highlighted and shed light on how we could identify novel biomarkers involved in cancer development and treatment. This review provides new insights into biomolecular carriers that could be targeted as anticancer biomarkers.

Keywords: Metabolism; Metastasis; Hematological cancer; Biomarker; Cancer; Anticancer

Core Tip: Hematological cancer is a type of cancer in which metabolism plays an essential role in progression. We provide a summary of recent developments in the understanding of metabolism in hematological cancer and provide a general understanding of biomarkers currently used and under investigation for clinical and preclinical applications involving drug development. This review provides new insights into biomolecular carriers that could be targeted as anticancer biomarkers.